Game of Thrones: Jon Snow’s parents confirmed as Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark

1 year ago

2 min read

If the Game of Thrones Season 6 finale left you in any doubt over who exactly Jon Snow’s parents are, worry no more.

While the long-awaited Tower of Joy flashback confirmed that – SPOILER ALERT – Jon Snow is actually the son of Lyanna Stark, and not the bastard child of her brother Ned, it didn’t explicitly state who Snow’s father is.

Any confusion has now been laid to rest, thanks to an official infographic from HBO.

The colour-coded diagram, released on making-of blog makinggameofthrones.com, has Rhaegar Targaryen down as Snow’s father.

An infographic of Jon Snow’s lineage (HBO)

This confirms the long-rumoured ‘R L=J’ (or, Rhaegar Lyanna = Jon) fan theory that has not yet been fully revealed in George RR Martin’s book series.

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Not only does Jon’s true parentage resound with the show’s themes – he’s half wolf (Stark) and half dragon (Targaryen) – but it gives him a strong claim for the Iron Throne itself.

Rhaegar, who is already dead by the start of the series, was the older brother of Daenerys Targaryen, and the son of ‘Mad King’ Aerys, who ruled Westeros before Robert Baratheon’s rebellion.